“Well, keep looking. We need to sacrifice her heart in order for me to possess my full powers. Her heart holds the key to time!” my father roared.
“Yes, Master,” the stranger voiced.
Chapter 1
Creek Waters
14 years later
“Creek… Creek!” I was torn from my daydream as I heard my name being called.
“Huh… yes?” I looked up to see my best friend, Healani’s, thirsty-ass brother, cheesing in my face.
Don’t get me wrong, Kai was fine as hell, but it was just something about him that rubbed me the wrong way. Even as a teenager, he would creep me out. I never told anyone, not even Healani, for fear that their parents, the Kanes, would kick me out.
“I asked if you wanted to go out with me tonight?” he asked again, licking his juicy, pink lips.
Kai always wore his long, wavy black hair in a high bun, tapered around the sides. I loved all the tribal tattoos that covered his tanned, muscular upper body and toned arms. The peach color tee he sported would give any woman wet dreams, but I didn’t see him in that light. We were raised as siblings, and that’s how I saw him. I thought he’d make another womanhappy, but I didn’t want him in that way. I don’t understand why this fool couldn’t comprehend that.
“Kai, we were raised like siblings, and that’s how I want to keep it. So, no, I can’t go out with you. I’m sorry. I don’t want to ruin the friendship I have with your sister. We talked about this already,” I voiced. He stood over me as I sat in the sand and stared at him.
“I know we were, but my feelings run deep for you, Creek. Why can’t you just give me one chance to prove it?” he asked.
“It’s because I don’t feel for you the way you feel me. There it is. I’m sorry if that came out mean, but you don’t listen, Kai. There are plenty of women in Oahu, Hawaii, who are dying to get your attention. Why are you settling for a woman who doesn’t want you? You deserve so much more than that. Now, can you please just leave me to my thoughts?” I probed sternly.
“So, you don’t like me, but that one night… you let me eat your delicious pussy until the sun rose,” he stated cockily.
I rolled my eyes at him. “First off, that was four years ago. Second, you mean the night you called yourself ‘making sure I got home safely from a night of drinking,’ and I woke up to you eating my pussy? I still don’t remember agreeing toyoutaking me home. I would have asked Healani or called Ewing before I ever asked you. But you’re right; it did happen, but it will never happen again. Now, will you please leave me alone? I find it irritating I have to keep asking you this.”
“You trippin’. I don’t remember things happening that way. I remember you undressing and inviting me to your oh-so-wet and sweet pussy. Second, it’s the owner of the hotel that’s got your panties in a twist. I see how you and every other woman on this island react to him when he’s in the vicinity. Or maybe it’s the fact that you’re the island’s top surfer and tourist attraction, and you think I’m less than you? Well, let me tell you something; if it wasn’t for my family taking you in when you washed upashore all those years ago… you’d be nothing. You’d still be the Jamaican girl with a case of vitiligo that no one wanted to be around. The girl that looks like a spotted dog. So, the way I see it, you owe me. One way or another, I will have you!” he spat, standing over me.
I looked at him and smiled. “Are you done?” I asked in a flat tone. “Kai, you seem to think you’re invoking fear in me when all you’re really doing is giving me more reasons to stay away from your ego-statistical, manipulative, and nutty ass. Just so you know… I'm not afraid of you or anyone else. When you do decide to come for me, you better give it all you got because I swear, I’m going to do you bodily harm. Oh, and what I can’t do, Ewing can. Now play with big bro if you want to. Good day to you,” I told him in a calm voice and looked back at the ocean.
“Ewing is my brother, not yours.” With that being said, he turned and stomped away like the big pussy he truly was. He had all the damn muscles in the world, yet he was a bitch through and through.
I sat on the sand with my feet under me as I watched the waves. My mind traveled back to the awful day my dad brutally butchered everyone I loved on my sixteenth birthday. It didn’t help that today was my thirtieth birthday, and every birthday was plagued by that awful memory. It will never go away, and it seemed that I attracted the most unstable men… starting with my father. My poor luck started with my father. Now, Kai’s punk ass. He thought he was doing something by mentioning my vitiligo, but that shit didn’t faze me anymore. That was a non-factor to me because I had long ago embraced my discolored beauty splashes that people saw as imperfections. I loved that God blessed me with two tones. Instead of giving me one scoop of ice cream, God gave me two. But maybe Kai had a point about Pryde—I really did like him. He wasn’t flashy and cocky like a lot of the rich men on the island. Pryde was a great listener. Hekept to himself. When I DJ’d my sets for his hotel, he was always there. He stayed until I was done, and he even gave me salary pay. I didn’t argue with him at all when he made that decision. I was a woman with a taste for fine living, so I worked two jobs.
Exhaling loudly, I stretched my legs out in front of me as the cold ocean water splashed against my skin, cooling down the hurtful memories that always made my blood boil when a deep voice filled my ears.
“Is this seat taken?”
My head whipped around so fast. I shielded my eyes as the sun radiated around him like he was God. I was always intrigued by how the sun beamed around Pryde, even when we were indoors. I don’t know if anyone else saw the halo of sun around him, but I most certainly did. My lips pursed to the side as I admired how dressed down he was. When other big executives visited the island, they were always dressed to impress, but not Pryde. There were many times you could find him in a designer suit, but then there were times I got lucky to see him dressed down. Today was one of those days.
Pryde wore an all-white, collarless oxford shirt that made his rich brown skin look as if he was wrapped in white chocolate. It paired well with his black ripped jeans. His all-white designer sneakers were definitely an added feature, a pop of color that tied his full look together. He was just too fine for his own good, but I snapped out of my thoughts and responded to his question.
“It’s not.” I patted the space in the sand next to me. He sat down and bumped me lightly with his broad shoulder. “Oww! What was that for?” I asked, rubbing my shoulder as if that little tap really did damage.
“That was for not telling me that today was your birthday,” he replied.
I arched my brow. “How do you know it’s my birthday?” I queried suspiciously.
Pryde intrigued me a lot because sometimes, he finished my sentences before I could. He also knew things before I could complete the thought. There was something oddly special about him.
“As we speak, your best friend is bedazzling one of my conference rooms with every decoration that screams happy birthday. Healani even got you a nice cake. Now, I know how much you hate surprises, so I’m giving you a fair warning. Although, you didn’t extend that courtesy to me because I’m just now finding out that it’s your birthday. So, tell me… what gives? Why don’t you like celebrating your birthday? If it’s too personal, then I understand,” he expressed, looking me square in the eyes. Whenever I looked into his russet brown eyes, I swear it felt like he could see into my soul. We’d only known each other for two years, so there was no way he could know me so well. However, he was very observant. I turned away from him and stared back at the waves that splashed onto the sand.
“Today will be the first time I ever retold this story, so bear with me,” I told him. I pulled my surfboard onto my lap and cradled it because nothing in this world offered security like it did. “On my sixteenth birthday, my father brutally murdered my grandmother, my mommy, and my older brother. He used a long, serrated knife and sliced my grandmother’s throat. I watched in total fear as he plunged the knife into my mother so deep that it ripped my tank top and slightly cut my left breast. My brother rushed in with Superman speed—literally. They both moved at a speed you only see on TV. Their teeth were elongated and razor-sharp. I honestly had never seen anything like it in my life.
“They were slamming each other against the walls of the house, destroying everything in their way. My brother screamed for me to run, and when I finally coached my legs to run, my dad plunged the knife into his stomach. I ran as fast as I could. Ipumped my arms and pushed my legs to run as hard and fast as possible. Sweat dripped down my face as I ran to the dock and jumped into the water. I swam underwater until I made it to the furthest boat and climbed inside. I hid under a dirty and fishy-smelling tarp because my life depended on it. My father and one of his companions followed me there, but for some reason, they couldn’t smell me. That’s what his companion said. I found that to be odd as well. However, I stayed there for so long that I fell asleep. Imagine my surprise when I woke up and found out I was no longer in Kingston, Jamaica, but halfway here to Oahu, Hawaii. When we arrived, I thanked the kind owner of the boat, and I walked around aimlessly for a while until I was offered some help.
